The myth of our Play Off 'curse'

[BalticBlade]

The consensus amongst many Unitedites is that it's autos or bust this season, with many already fearing the worst if we have to settle for the play offs.

Many feel we have a play off 'curse' having failed to win promotion in our eight promotion play off campaigns to date. But if you step back and take an analytical approach you soon see the 'curse' is a myth and that should we miss out on automatic promotion things may be very different in the play offs this time around.

These are are final positions and points tallies we achieved in those eight previous play off seasons:

96/97
League position: 5th
Points: 73

97/98
League position: 6th
Points: 74 (16 points behind 3rd place Sunderland)

02/03
League position: 3rd
Points: 80 (1 point ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Wolves)

08/09
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (3 points ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Burnley)

11/12
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (9 points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield)

12/13
League position: 5th
Points: 75

14/15
League position: 5th
Points: 71 (18 points behind 3rd place)

21/22
League position: 5th
Points: 75 (7 points behind third place)

As you can see, in the majority of those seasons we finished either 5th or 6th in the league and were well off the pace of the teams at the top. We were outsiders in these seasons and it is no real surprise that we missed out on winning the Play Offs.

In three of the eight seasons we finished third, so maybe could have been considered favourites to win the play offs. In two of those seasons the gap between us and the teams immediately below was very small.

The only exception is the 11/12 season when we finished in third place and were 9 clear points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield, the team we lost to in the final. I'd say only that play off campaign could be considered a genuine failure and even then there is the mitigation of losing Ched Evans with a few games left and a rather freakish penalty shoot out.

There is no 'curse' and what happened previously has no bearing on what might happen this season. This season is completely different, for a number of reasons.

After 39 games we have already amassed more points (considerably more in some cases) than we did all the above seasons, bar the 11/12 season, but we look set to comfortably top that.

We are already guaranteed a place in the play offs at a minimum and if that is the case (barring a bizarre set of results in the final 7 games) we will almost certainly finish third, comfortably ahead of Sunderland and with a gaping chasm between ourselves and the other two play off teams.

I've heard people say this season that our record against the teams in around the play off places isn't very good. I beg to differ.

We played Sunderland twice during our trickiest spell of the season where we had a lot of back to back games and our squad was threadbare. We won one and lost one with a 2-2 aggregate score.

Same with West Brom, played them twice in quick succession during that tricky spell and drew both games.

Last Friday night we saw the gulf in class between ourselves and Coventry.

Boro beat us when we had that tricky couple of games after the death of George Baldock but we were a class above when we faced them with a much stronger squad a couple of months back.

Bristol City - we won one and drew one.

Our current team has shown time and time again this season they can handle the big pressure. One other thing we didn't have in the eight previous play off campaigns was Chris Wilder as manager.

We're in a great position. We've got a very good chance of autos and at the very worst we'll have to settle for the play offs. At the end of the day that wouldn't be the end of the world and we'd have a great chance of breaking this non-existant 'curse'.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, let's just f*ckin' enjoy it!

 

[Beans]

I don't think of this in terms of a "curse", it's just that we've turned up to four finals (each time playing a team we've finished above?) and are yet to score a frickin goal! So until that changes, I'll continue to fear the worst.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

In most of the play off games we got what we deserved. Against Wolves Warnock dropped McCall for Rankine and Windass for Asaba and didn't even bring Windass. I'm still convinced to this day that if we'd started McCall and Windass we'd have played better and won.

Against Burnley we had sold Beattie and replaced him with Jamie Ward and Craig Beattie. It didn't help that Ward got sent off in the second half when we were already behind. It also didn't help that Blackwell was a very limited manager whose only tactics were kick the crap out of players and hoof it.

The Ched situation derailed that play off campaign and we only lost on sudden death penalties with Simonsen being the final taker, a rare situation.

I don't think we're cursed or destined to never win in the play offs. The above were all down to either our own doing or just bad luck.

 

[CrookesBlade]

I don't think of this in terms of a "curse", it's just that we've turned up to four finals (each time playing a team we've finished above?) and are yet to score a frickin goal! So until that changes, I'll continue to fear the worst.

Yeah I don’t include any play off semi defeats in the curse as those seasons we staggered to the finish line and there were better teams around us.

4 finals, each playing abysmally against teams that finished below us and scoring no goals is quite something though.

That said you can point to reasons in each case

97 - we had a few injuries (Alan Kelly, Chris Short and a couple of others if memory serves). However the biggest factor in our downfall here was Howard Kendall taking the team on a week long piss up as preparation.

03 - a long season with 60 odd games played took its toll on the squad. Dean Windass, who would have started, got sent home from the team hotel for shitting on a golf course. Warnock was also prone to setting his sides up too negatively in big games.

09 - Blackwell, hot day, £200 million on the line. We weren’t exactly getting prime Barcelona. McCabe had also started dismantling the squad in earnest and we finished the campaign much weaker than we started it.

12 - Ched.

 

[coaxingstar71]

I admire the positive spin on our 'play-off campaigns, however the truth of the matter is :-

1997 - Lost to a speculative last minute Hopkin goal in a poor game, where not for the first time, we failed to turn up for the big occasion.

1998 - We already had a decimated squad due to the famous January firesale and I don't think anyone expected us to prevail.

2003 - Another game where we failed to turn up. We'd beaten Wolves twice that season and Warnock even admitted his tactics were based on emotions, picking Kabba and playing two up when we'd beaten them twice with one up. Game effectively over after 30 minutes.

2009 - Didn't turn up again. There's a theme developing.

2012 - Neither team turned up resulting in the most farcial penalty shoot out loss you could imagine. I don't blame Simonsen, I blame the regular penalty takers, looking at Andy Taylor.

2013 & 2015 - we just weren't very good were we. Losing to Yeovil and conceding 7 over two games to Swindon for chris' sake.

2022 - bit unlucky in the end. Great team performance at Forest after a poor home leg.

The only thing that gives me hope if it happens this time, is that if anyone can break the run of woe, it's Wilder.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

It's not a curse, there's no such thing as curses.

It's just that in the three seasons we finished 3rd and got to the final we never turned up.

That doesn't mean if we finish 3rd again and get to the final we won't/can't be successful.

So nobody wants to go that route again because of the bitter taste that has been left in the mouth from past experiences.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Yeah I don’t include any play off semi defeats in the curse as those seasons we staggered to the finish line and there were better teams around us.

4 finals, each playing abysmally against teams that finished below us and scoring no goals is quite something though.

That said you can point to reasons in each case

97 - we had a few injuries (Alan Kelly, Chris Short and a couple of others if memory serves). However the biggest factor in our downfall here was Howard Kendall taking the team on a week long piss up as preparation.

03 - a long season with 60 odd games played took its toll on the squad. Dean Windass, who would have started, got sent home from the team hotel for shitting on a golf course. Warnock was also prone to setting his sides up too negatively in big games.

09 - Blackwell, hot day, £200 million on the line. We weren’t exactly getting prime Barcelona. McCabe had also started dismantling the squad in earnest and we finished the campaign much weaker than we started it.

12 - Ched.

I'd disagree that Warnock set up his teams negatively in big games that season. We beat Premier League teams in our cup runs, Leeds twice, Sunderland, Liverpool at home. We took 4 points from Champions Portsmouth, 4 points from 2nd placed Leicester, 4 points from Wolves, 3 points from Forest, 3 points from Reading, all of whom finished top six, and we beat Forest again in the play offs. We also battered Wednesday home and away and were the victims of the biggest football daylight robbery at Hillsborough when Pressman played a blinder and we were sucker punched twice. At home we battered them again and got the deserved reward. We feared no one that season.

 

[Bladedog]

In most of the play off games we got what we deserved. Against Wolves Warnock dropped McCall for Rankine and Windass for Asaba and didn't even bring Windass. I'm still convinced to this day that if we'd started McCall and Windass we'd have played better and won.

Against Burnley we had sold Beattie and replaced him with Jamie Ward and Craig Beattie. It didn't help that Ward got sent off in the second half when we were already behind. It also didn't help that Blackwell was a very limited manager whose only tactics were kick the crap out of players and hoof it.

The Ched situation derailed that play off campaign and we only lost on sudden death penalties with Simonsen being the final taker, a rare situation.

I don't think we're cursed or destined to never win in the play offs. The above were all down to either our own doing or just bad luck.

It didn't help that Blackwell flagged referee Mike Reid off before the game.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

4 different managers
4 different teams
Not one shot at net in any od games and never looked like winning any and in 3 of them were the most dire games of football to be played at Wembley

Unbelievable

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

It didn't help that Blackwell flagged referee Mike Reid off before the game.

He also had a meltdown in the team hotel in front of the players in the morning, which won't have helped the players confidence.

 

[Selly]

1997 - Lost to a speculative last minute Hopkin goal in a poor game, where not for the first time, we failed to turn up for the big occasion.

Neither team turned up. Sucker punched right at the end. Still can't hear "Glad all over"

1998 - We already had a decimated squad due to the famous January firesale and I don't think anyone expected us to prevail.

Should have won the home leg 3-1 (we had a3 on 1 breakaway in the last minute) and we were fingertips away from equalising in the second leg.

2003 - Another game where we failed to turn up. We'd beaten Wolves twice that season and Warnock even admitted his tactics were based on emotions, picking Kabba and playing two up when we'd beaten them twice with one up. Game effectively over after 30 minutes.

Dumb dumb dumb

2009 - Didn't turn up again. There's a theme developing

See 2003

2012 - Neither team turned up resulting in the most farcial penalty shoot out loss you could imagine. I don't blame Simonsen, I blame the regular penalty takers, looking at Andy Taylor.

Lost a penalty shoot out despite being 3-0 up at one stage I think? Or they missed the first 3. Classic United.

2013 & 2015 - we just weren't very good were we. Losing to Yeovil and conceding 7 over two games to Swindon for chris' sake.

Fucking Swindon.

2022 - bit unlucky in the end. Great team performance at Forest after a poor home leg.

If Iliman connects with that shot in the last minute, I think we go up.

 

[Bladedog]

He also had a meltdown in the team hotel in front of the players in the morning, which won't have helped the players confidence.

Soz I meant slagged

 

[Frankie as in Howard]

The consensus amongst many Unitedites is that it's autos or bust this season, with many already fearing the worst if we have to settle for the play offs.

Many feel we have a play off 'curse' having failed to win promotion in our eight promotion play off campaigns to date. But if you step back and take an analytical approach you soon see the 'curse' is a myth and that should we miss out on automatic promotion things may be very different in the play offs this time around.

These are are final positions and points tallies we achieved in those eight previous play off seasons:

96/97
League position: 5th
Points: 73

97/98
League position: 6th
Points: 74 (16 points behind 3rd place Sunderland)

02/03
League position: 3rd
Points: 80 (1 point ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Wolves)

08/09
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (3 points ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Burnley)

11/12
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (9 points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield)

12/13
League position: 5th
Points: 75

14/15
League position: 5th
Points: 71 (18 points behind 3rd place)

21/22
League position: 5th
Points: 75 (7 points behind third place)

As you can see, in the majority of those seasons we finished either 5th or 6th in the league and were well off the pace of the teams at the top. We were outsiders in these seasons and it is no real surprise that we missed out on winning the Play Offs.

In three of the eight seasons we finished third, so maybe could have been considered favourites to win the play offs. In two of those seasons the gap between us and the teams immediately below was very small.

The only exception is the 11/12 season when we finished in third place and were 9 clear points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield, the team we lost to in the final. I'd say only that play off campaign could be considered a genuine failure and even then there is the mitigation of losing Ched Evans with a few games left and a rather freakish penalty shoot out.

There is no 'curse' and what happened previously has no bearing on what might happen this season. This season is completely different, for a number of reasons.

After 39 games we have already amassed more points (considerably more in some cases) than we did all the above seasons, bar the 11/12 season, but we look set to comfortably top that.

We are already guaranteed a place in the play offs at a minimum and if that is the case (barring a bizarre set of results in the final 7 games) we will almost certainly finish third, comfortably ahead of Sunderland and with a gaping chasm between ourselves and the other two play off teams.

I've heard people say this season that our record against the teams in around the play off places isn't very good. I beg to differ.

We played Sunderland twice during our trickiest spell of the season where we had a lot of back to back games and our squad was threadbare. We won one and lost one with a 2-2 aggregate score.

Same with West Brom, played them twice in quick succession during that tricky spell and drew both games.

Last Friday night we saw the gulf in class between ourselves and Coventry.

Boro beat us when we had that tricky couple of games after the death of George Baldock but we were a class above when we faced them with a much stronger squad a couple of months back.

Bristol City - we won one and drew one.

Our current team has shown time and time again this season they can handle the big pressure. One other thing we didn't have in the eight previous play off campaigns was Chris Wilder as manager.

We're in a great position. We've got a very good chance of autos and at the very worst we'll have to settle for the play offs. At the end of the day that wouldn't be the end of the world and we'd have a great chance of breaking this non-existant 'curse'.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, let's just f*ckin' enjoy it!

We have had 9 play offs not 8, as follows,

• 1988 division 2 finished 3rd bottom and entered league one semi final play offs and lost to Bristol City. So relegated to division 3.
• 1997 championship lost final 1-0 to Palace.
• 2022 championship lost on penalties to Forest in semi’s.
• 1998 championship lost to Sunderland in semi finals.
• 2003 championship lost final 3-0 to Wolves.
• 2009 championship lost final 1-0 to Burnley.
• 2012 league one final lost on penalties to Huddersfield 8-7.
• 2013 league one semi-final lost to Yeovil.
• 2015 league one semi-final lost to Swindon.

 

[Shawy24]

The consensus amongst many Unitedites is that it's autos or bust this season, with many already fearing the worst if we have to settle for the play offs.

Many feel we have a play off 'curse' having failed to win promotion in our eight promotion play off campaigns to date. But if you step back and take an analytical approach you soon see the 'curse' is a myth and that should we miss out on automatic promotion things may be very different in the play offs this time around
These are are final positions and points tallies we achieved in those eight previous play off seasons:

96/97
League position: 5th
Points: 73

97/98
League position: 6th
Points: 74 (16 points behind 3rd place Sunderland)

02/03
League position: 3rd
Points: 80 (1 point ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Wolves)

08/09
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (3 points ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Burnley)

11/12
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (9 points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield)

12/13
League position: 5th
Points: 75

14/15
League position: 5th
Points: 71 (18 points behind 3rd place)

21/22
League position: 5th
Points: 75 (7 points behind third place)

As you can see, in the majority of those seasons we finished either 5th or 6th in the league and were well off the pace of the teams at the top. We were outsiders in these seasons and it is no real surprise that we missed out on winning the Play Offs.

In three of the eight seasons we finished third, so maybe could have been considered favourites to win the play offs. In two of those seasons the gap between us and the teams immediately below was very small.

The only exception is the 11/12 season when we finished in third place and were 9 clear points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield, the team we lost to in the final. I'd say only that play off campaign could be considered a genuine failure and even then there is the mitigation of losing Ched Evans with a few games left and a rather freakish penalty shoot out.

There is no 'curse' and what happened previously has no bearing on what might happen this season. This season is completely different, for a number of reasons.

After 39 games we have already amassed more points (considerably more in some cases) than we did all the above seasons, bar the 11/12 season, but we look set to comfortably top that.

We are already guaranteed a place in the play offs at a minimum and if that is the case (barring a bizarre set of results in the final 7 games) we will almost certainly finish third, comfortably ahead of Sunderland and with a gaping chasm between ourselves and the other two play off teams.

I've heard people say this season that our record against the teams in around the play off places isn't very good. I beg to differ.

We played Sunderland twice during our trickiest spell of the season where we had a lot of back to back games and our squad was threadbare. We won one and lost one with a 2-2 aggregate score.

Same with West Brom, played them twice in quick succession during that tricky spell and drew both games.

Last Friday night we saw the gulf in class between ourselves and Coventry.

Boro beat us when we had that tricky couple of games after the death of George Baldock but we were a class above when we faced them with a much stronger squad a couple of months back.

Bristol City - we won one and drew one.

Our current team has shown time and time again this season they can handle the big pressure. One other thing we didn't have in the eight previous play off campaigns was Chris Wilder as manager.

We're in a great position. We've got a very good chance of autos and at the very worst we'll have to settle for the play offs. At the end of the day that wouldn't be the end of the world and we'd have a great chance of breaking this non-existant 'curse'.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, let's just f*ckin' enjoy it!

Baltic. You’re talking bollocks. There is a curse. We have no chance in playoffs. Shut the fuck up. That is all.

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

It's not a myth. It is an actual curse.

Get druids or vegans in to sort it.

 

[Super Furry Blades]

The consensus amongst many Unitedites is that it's autos or bust this season, with many already fearing the worst if we have to settle for the play offs.

Many feel we have a play off 'curse' having failed to win promotion in our eight promotion play off campaigns to date. But if you step back and take an analytical approach you soon see the 'curse' is a myth and that should we miss out on automatic promotion things may be very different in the play offs this time around.

These are are final positions and points tallies we achieved in those eight previous play off seasons:

96/97
League position: 5th
Points: 73

97/98
League position: 6th
Points: 74 (16 points behind 3rd place Sunderland)

02/03
League position: 3rd
Points: 80 (1 point ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Wolves)

08/09
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (3 points ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Burnley)

11/12
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (9 points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield)

12/13
League position: 5th
Points: 75

14/15
League position: 5th
Points: 71 (18 points behind 3rd place)

21/22
League position: 5th
Points: 75 (7 points behind third place)

As you can see, in the majority of those seasons we finished either 5th or 6th in the league and were well off the pace of the teams at the top. We were outsiders in these seasons and it is no real surprise that we missed out on winning the Play Offs.

In three of the eight seasons we finished third, so maybe could have been considered favourites to win the play offs. In two of those seasons the gap between us and the teams immediately below was very small.

The only exception is the 11/12 season when we finished in third place and were 9 clear points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield, the team we lost to in the final. I'd say only that play off campaign could be considered a genuine failure and even then there is the mitigation of losing Ched Evans with a few games left and a rather freakish penalty shoot out.

There is no 'curse' and what happened previously has no bearing on what might happen this season. This season is completely different, for a number of reasons.

After 39 games we have already amassed more points (considerably more in some cases) than we did all the above seasons, bar the 11/12 season, but we look set to comfortably top that.

We are already guaranteed a place in the play offs at a minimum and if that is the case (barring a bizarre set of results in the final 7 games) we will almost certainly finish third, comfortably ahead of Sunderland and with a gaping chasm between ourselves and the other two play off teams.

I've heard people say this season that our record against the teams in around the play off places isn't very good. I beg to differ.

We played Sunderland twice during our trickiest spell of the season where we had a lot of back to back games and our squad was threadbare. We won one and lost one with a 2-2 aggregate score.

Same with West Brom, played them twice in quick succession during that tricky spell and drew both games.

Last Friday night we saw the gulf in class between ourselves and Coventry.

Boro beat us when we had that tricky couple of games after the death of George Baldock but we were a class above when we faced them with a much stronger squad a couple of months back.

Bristol City - we won one and drew one.

Our current team has shown time and time again this season they can handle the big pressure. One other thing we didn't have in the eight previous play off campaigns was Chris Wilder as manager.

We're in a great position. We've got a very good chance of autos and at the very worst we'll have to settle for the play offs. At the end of the day that wouldn't be the end of the world and we'd have a great chance of breaking this non-existant 'curse'.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, let's just f*ckin' enjoy it!

You must have an exciting home life

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

The 1997 final against Palace was a dogger game, or that's my recollection of it.

The 2003 game versus Wolves was one of my biggest disappointment as a Blade. It's not that we lost, it's that we barely turned up.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

He also had a meltdown in the team hotel in front of the players in the morning, which won't have helped the players confidence.

Did he?

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Westran

Following on from your ChatGPT points deduction thread, can you get evidence that the above is all bollocks and we actually won all play offs we were in?

 

[Westran]

Westran

Following on from your ChatGPT points deduction thread, can you get evidence that the above is all bollocks and we actually won all play offs we were in?

Sheffield United, a club with a rich history dating back to 1889, has had its fair share of dramatic playoff moments—both triumphant and heartbreaking. Though their actual record in playoff competitions hasn't been the most decorated, the Blades have won multiple playoff finals in dramatic fashion.


---

The Three Great Playoff Triumphs of Sheffield United

1. The Miracle at Wembley (1997)

Sheffield United had been yo-yoing between the top two divisions of English football for years, but the 1996–97 season presented them with a golden opportunity. Under the leadership of Dave Bassett, the Blades finished 5th in the First Division (now the Championship), securing a place in the playoffs.

After a tense semi-final victory over Ipswich Town, United faced Crystal Palace in the final at Wembley. The game was a cagey affair, with neither side able to break the deadlock. Then, in the 89th minute, Brian Deane—back for a second spell with the club—rose highest to nod home a corner, sending the red-and-white half of Wembley into ecstasy. Sheffield United were promoted to the Premier League, their first time back in the top flight since the early 90s.

2. The Steel City Redemption (2003)

After being relegated from the Premier League in 1994, Sheffield United endured years of frustration, never quite managing to secure promotion. The 2002–03 season saw them finish 3rd under Neil Warnock, setting up another playoff campaign.

Their semi-final was a fiery affair against Nottingham Forest. After a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg, the return match at Bramall Lane saw United stage a comeback from 2-0 down to win 4-3 in extra time. The final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium (due to Wembley’s reconstruction) pitted them against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Despite Wolves being the favorites, United stunned them early with two quickfire goals from Michael Brown and Steve Kabba. A defensive masterclass saw them hold on for a 2-1 win, marking their return to the Premier League.

3. The Hollywood Ending (2019)

By the late 2010s, Sheffield United had fallen to the third tier before Chris Wilder masterminded their resurgence. After securing promotion to the Championship in 2017, they finished the 2018–19 season in 4th place, setting up another playoff battle.

The semi-final saw them clash with rivals Leeds United. A tense first leg at Bramall Lane ended 1-1, but a stunning 3-1 win at Elland Road secured their place in the final against Derby County.

At Wembley, the Blades found themselves 2-0 down at halftime. But Wilder’s halftime team talk lit a fire under the team. A brace from Billy Sharp and a last-minute thunderbolt from John Fleck secured a 3-2 victory, sending United back to the Premier League in the most dramatic fashion possible.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Did he?

Yes.

 

[Blade58]

All I recall is 4 play off finals
4 defeats
Didn’t even score a goal

Pish

 

[HuddersfieldBlade]

We have had 9 play offs not 8, as follows,

• 1988 division 2 finished 3rd bottom and entered league one semi final play offs and lost to Bristol City. So relegated to division 3.
• 1997 championship lost final 1-0 to Palace.
• 2022 championship lost on penalties to Forest in semi’s.
• 1998 championship lost to Sunderland in semi finals.
• 2003 championship lost final 3-0 to Wolves.
• 2009 championship lost final 1-0 to Burnley.
• 2012 league one final lost on penalties to Huddersfield 8-7.
• 2013 league one semi-final lost to Yeovil.
• 2015 league one semi-final lost to Swindon.

Don’t forget the test match in 1893, beating Accrington to get elected in the 1st division

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

The simplest fact is that with 4 teams in the playoffs, we have been there 8 times, so by the law of averages we should have been successful twice. Whatever the explanation, that level of under-performance is enough to make anyone pessimistic.

 

[BalticBlade]

We have had 9 play offs not 8, as follows,

• 1988 division 2 finished 3rd bottom and entered league one semi final play offs and lost to Bristol City. So relegated to division 3.
• 1997 championship lost final 1-0 to Palace.
• 2022 championship lost on penalties to Forest in semi’s.
• 1998 championship lost to Sunderland in semi finals.
• 2003 championship lost final 3-0 to Wolves.
• 2009 championship lost final 1-0 to Burnley.
• 2012 league one final lost on penalties to Huddersfield 8-7.
• 2013 league one semi-final lost to Yeovil.
• 2015 league one semi-final lost to Swindon.

We've been in eight promotion play offs

 

[CaptainMorgans]

The consensus amongst many Unitedites is that it's autos or bust this season, with many already fearing the worst if we have to settle for the play offs.

Many feel we have a play off 'curse' having failed to win promotion in our eight promotion play off campaigns to date. But if you step back and take an analytical approach you soon see the 'curse' is a myth and that should we miss out on automatic promotion things may be very different in the play offs this time around.

These are are final positions and points tallies we achieved in those eight previous play off seasons:

96/97
League position: 5th
Points: 73

97/98
League position: 6th
Points: 74 (16 points behind 3rd place Sunderland)

02/03
League position: 3rd
Points: 80 (1 point ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Wolves)

08/09
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (3 points ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Burnley)

11/12
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (9 points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield)

12/13
League position: 5th
Points: 75

14/15
League position: 5th
Points: 71 (18 points behind 3rd place)

21/22
League position: 5th
Points: 75 (7 points behind third place)

As you can see, in the majority of those seasons we finished either 5th or 6th in the league and were well off the pace of the teams at the top. We were outsiders in these seasons and it is no real surprise that we missed out on winning the Play Offs.

In three of the eight seasons we finished third, so maybe could have been considered favourites to win the play offs. In two of those seasons the gap between us and the teams immediately below was very small.

The only exception is the 11/12 season when we finished in third place and were 9 clear points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield, the team we lost to in the final. I'd say only that play off campaign could be considered a genuine failure and even then there is the mitigation of losing Ched Evans with a few games left and a rather freakish penalty shoot out.

There is no 'curse' and what happened previously has no bearing on what might happen this season. This season is completely different, for a number of reasons.

After 39 games we have already amassed more points (considerably more in some cases) than we did all the above seasons, bar the 11/12 season, but we look set to comfortably top that.

We are already guaranteed a place in the play offs at a minimum and if that is the case (barring a bizarre set of results in the final 7 games) we will almost certainly finish third, comfortably ahead of Sunderland and with a gaping chasm between ourselves and the other two play off teams.

I've heard people say this season that our record against the teams in around the play off places isn't very good. I beg to differ.

We played Sunderland twice during our trickiest spell of the season where we had a lot of back to back games and our squad was threadbare. We won one and lost one with a 2-2 aggregate score.

Same with West Brom, played them twice in quick succession during that tricky spell and drew both games.

Last Friday night we saw the gulf in class between ourselves and Coventry.

Boro beat us when we had that tricky couple of games after the death of George Baldock but we were a class above when we faced them with a much stronger squad a couple of months back.

Bristol City - we won one and drew one.

Our current team has shown time and time again this season they can handle the big pressure. One other thing we didn't have in the eight previous play off campaigns was Chris Wilder as manager.

We're in a great position. We've got a very good chance of autos and at the very worst we'll have to settle for the play offs. At the end of the day that wouldn't be the end of the world and we'd have a great chance of breaking this non-existant 'curse'.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, let's just f*ckin' enjoy it!

Absolutely stinks of curse.

 

[BalticBlade]

You must have an exciting home life

Was at work

 

[Gimli]

Without wishing to sound too negative, we’ve been in 8 play off campaigns and have not been promoted on all 8 occasions.

I’d suggest that means that they are all ‘genuine failures’…

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

The consensus amongst many Unitedites is that it's autos or bust this season, with many already fearing the worst if we have to settle for the play offs.

Many feel we have a play off 'curse' having failed to win promotion in our eight promotion play off campaigns to date. But if you step back and take an analytical approach you soon see the 'curse' is a myth and that should we miss out on automatic promotion things may be very different in the play offs this time around.

These are are final positions and points tallies we achieved in those eight previous play off seasons:

96/97
League position: 5th
Points: 73

97/98
League position: 6th
Points: 74 (16 points behind 3rd place Sunderland)

02/03
League position: 3rd
Points: 80 (1 point ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Wolves)

08/09
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (3 points ahead of 4th and 4 points ahead of Play Off winners Burnley)

11/12
League position: 3rd
Points: 90 (9 points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield)

12/13
League position: 5th
Points: 75

14/15
League position: 5th
Points: 71 (18 points behind 3rd place)

21/22
League position: 5th
Points: 75 (7 points behind third place)

As you can see, in the majority of those seasons we finished either 5th or 6th in the league and were well off the pace of the teams at the top. We were outsiders in these seasons and it is no real surprise that we missed out on winning the Play Offs.

In three of the eight seasons we finished third, so maybe could have been considered favourites to win the play offs. In two of those seasons the gap between us and the teams immediately below was very small.

The only exception is the 11/12 season when we finished in third place and were 9 clear points ahead of fourth placed Huddersfield, the team we lost to in the final. I'd say only that play off campaign could be considered a genuine failure and even then there is the mitigation of losing Ched Evans with a few games left and a rather freakish penalty shoot out.

There is no 'curse' and what happened previously has no bearing on what might happen this season. This season is completely different, for a number of reasons.

After 39 games we have already amassed more points (considerably more in some cases) than we did all the above seasons, bar the 11/12 season, but we look set to comfortably top that.

We are already guaranteed a place in the play offs at a minimum and if that is the case (barring a bizarre set of results in the final 7 games) we will almost certainly finish third, comfortably ahead of Sunderland and with a gaping chasm between ourselves and the other two play off teams.

I've heard people say this season that our record against the teams in around the play off places isn't very good. I beg to differ.

We played Sunderland twice during our trickiest spell of the season where we had a lot of back to back games and our squad was threadbare. We won one and lost one with a 2-2 aggregate score.

Same with West Brom, played them twice in quick succession during that tricky spell and drew both games.

Last Friday night we saw the gulf in class between ourselves and Coventry.

Boro beat us when we had that tricky couple of games after the death of George Baldock but we were a class above when we faced them with a much stronger squad a couple of months back.

Bristol City - we won one and drew one.

Our current team has shown time and time again this season they can handle the big pressure. One other thing we didn't have in the eight previous play off campaigns was Chris Wilder as manager.

We're in a great position. We've got a very good chance of autos and at the very worst we'll have to settle for the play offs. At the end of the day that wouldn't be the end of the world and we'd have a great chance of breaking this non-existant 'curse'.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, let's just f*ckin' enjoy it!

Better manager (whilst with the blades) than any previous play-off campaign too if that did happen. But given we're 1st currently and top 2 all season it'd be a real psychological blow I'm not sure we could handle it.

 

[BalticBlade]

Better manager (whilst with the blades) than any previous play-off campaign too if that did happen. But given we're 1st currently and top 2 all season it'd be a real psychological blow I'm not sure we could handle it.

I think this group of players would be able to handle it, it's the fans I worry about